15 Incredible Films Based On Real-Life Tragedies
13. 22 July
Based On: The 2011 Norway Attacks.
Paul Greengrass was the ideal man to tackle one of the most horrific terrorist attacks of recent times and while 22 July was the lesser of the two movies based on the Norway attacks, and failed to match the awards season hype, it still proved a compelling dramatization. In particular, the attack sequence is goosebump-inducing.
Boasting many hauntingly powerful moments, Paul Greengrass' typically brilliant directing and stunning performances from its Norwegian cast (especially Anders Danielsen Lie as Anders Behring Breivik), this is a film which puts audiences through the wringer but it also finds light in the darkness. It serves as a very moving tribute to the survivors and how well Norway coped with the tragedy, so the tears you'll probably shed will be both happy and sad.
As many reviewers have noted, this was an uneven film which tried to do too much in its run-time; it would've worked better as a TV miniseries, but what we got is still jolly good. This one deserves another look and will hopefully be remembered more warmly with time.